It was a vast swarm of flying beasts—the Crimson Bird clan led by Hong Ying, the Golden Eagle clan led by their chieftain, the Crane clan…

They formed the Myriad Demons Nation’s aerial forces, like a plague of locusts, surging from the horizon in a sky-darkening mass.

Simultaneously, the watchtowers—ten li out, five li out, three li out—successively sounded their horns before falling abruptly silent.

“The demon folk, the demon folk are coming…”

The voices of the wall guards echoed through the night sky, reverberating off the towering city walls.

Immediately after, “dong dong dong” drum beats began to thunder, deep and resonant, spreading through the night.

Troops ascended the walls in waves via the stairs.

Some methodically prepared defensive materials—fire oil, wooden rams, rolling stones, and more.

Others mounted crossbows on the battlements, aiming at the forest a hundred meters away.

South City was built on Myriad Demons Mountain. When constructing the walls, the Western Region people cleared all trees within a hundred meters, creating a buffer zone.

This design was specifically to prevent demon folk from using the terrain to stealthily approach the walls.

There was no wind tonight, yet the distant forest trembled continuously under the moonlight.

In the darkness, no one knew how many enemies were approaching.

A squad leader drew an arrow, rolling its head in torch fire until it was coated with burning oil.

He shot it skyward, and the qi contained within suddenly burst, creating a flare of light that illuminated the surroundings.

Below, in the firelight, a dozen grey wolves that had been sneaking toward the wall instinctively looked up.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh…”

They were immediately covered in a dense rain of arrows, and killed on the spot.

This became the fuse that ignited the great battle. Vast swathes of dark shapes burst from the forest, charging toward the city gates.

Most moved on four legs, while a small portion were humanoid.

“Loose!”

The wall’s archers immediately released their bowstrings, the thrumming sound echoing across the battlements.

Under the assault of bows and mounted crossbows, waves of dark shapes fell, dying in the first volley.

The death of their companions could not deter the demon folk—the wildfire of revenge and longing for their homeland made them fearless of death.

“Loose!”

A second wave of arrows shot forth. This time, the “dark clouds” sweeping through the sky had also entered range.

The wall guards fired dense arrow volleys at both ground and sky.

Bird demons fell from the sky one after another, letting out miserable cries.

“Loose!”

A third wave of arrows poured forth, claiming hundreds more demon lives.

By now, the bird demon “air force” had reached the walls, seemingly about to tear through the defenders’ line.

Hum!

From the Southern Dharma Temple atop Myriad Demons Mountain, a golden pillar of light shot skyward.

It spread out in the high air, forming a golden barrier that covered all of South City.

Bang bang bang… hundreds of bird demons crashed into the golden barrier, their flesh mangled and feathers scattered.

Hong Ying and other bird chiefs led their remaining forces high into the sky, circling unwillingly.

The wall guards had barely sighed in relief when they collectively froze, looking ahead in terror.

A huge iron-eating beast lounged on the wall top, like a child leaning on a display case.

Its head was round, and its ears were round, with white fur as a base color and black fur around its eyes, nose, and round ears.

Its gaze was somewhat vacant, making it appear rather simple-minded—if not for its massive size.

“Aooo…”

The iron-eating beast called out calmly, its body still expanding, making the city wall seem to shrink—from being level with it to chest height, then to waist height…

The iron-eating beast raised both paws and tapped the golden barrier.

It didn’t budge.

It seemed to grow angry, tapping again, still with no effect.

Bang bang bang… it struck with increasing force and speed, its previously dopey round face growing fierce, fangs protruding.

The golden barrier shook violently, dispersing the terrifying force.

“Boom!”

The barrier shattered, exploding into golden particles.

The explosive force rippled outward, pushing the iron-eating beast back stumbling, causing it to fall.

“Screech!”

With the barrier broken, the bird demon army dove down shrieking, braving the arrow rain to attack the wall guards.

The guards dropped their bows, drawing blades to fight the bird demons, but were quickly overwhelmed by the diving attackers, their heads pecked open, necks severed.

The attacking demon folk below, now free from arrow fire, climbed the walls to join the melee.

A hundred-zhang giant python climbed the battlements, its tail striking heavily, cracking the wall repeatedly.

A snow-white giant hound led the wolf clan leaping onto the walls, charging through the defenses.

From wall cracks grew emerald vines, attacking Western Region guards.

Chaos reigned on the walls. Buddhist warrior monks and elite guards desperately resisted as burning oil lit up the night sky.

At this moment, one hundred and eight golden lights descended from the mountaintop, hovering above the battling forces.

They were one hundred and eight monks covered in golden light, sitting cross-legged in the air, surrounding a thin elderly monk with long eyebrows at their center.

The monks sat with closed eyes, seemingly oblivious to the fierce battle below, absorbed in their sutras and prayers.

Their chanting, initially inaudible, gradually overpowered the sounds of battle and beast roars.

Soon, only Sanskrit sounds filled the air.

The Western Region guards and Buddhist warrior monks were inspired, and their fighting power doubled. In contrast, the demon folk either clutched their heads in pain, crawled trembling, or lost their killing intent and will to fight.

The guards seized the opportunity, taking demon lives one after another.

“Hehe…”

Suddenly, an alluring, magnetic laugh broke the rhythm of the Sanskrit chanting.

Under the moonlight, a bewitching figure swayed forward through the air. As she approached the monks’ formation, her nine fox tails, previously folded back, suddenly spread and gently waved.

Instantly, sensual music filled the battlements.

The guards saw beautiful women appear before them, smiling and swaying seductively, leaving them lost in a daze of passion.

The tide immediately turned as the demon army counterattacked, slaughtering guards and warrior monks.

Arhat Du’e frowned, opening his eyes and calling out softly:

“Kill the Bandits!”

Both Sanskrit chants and sensual music dissipated.

The black and white iron-eating beast slowly got up, roaring as it charged toward the formation of one hundred and eight monks.

Hum!

The giant beast was immediately repelled by the golden barrier, stumbling backward again.

The seven-colored light wheel above Arhat Du’e’s head suddenly lit up as he extended his palm.

A golden Buddhist palm manifested above the Bear King’s head, crashing down heavily.

The Bear King immediately raised both paws to resist the palm, but it couldn’t withstand this Buddhist palm imbued with Bandit-Killing power.

The palm pressed down zhang by zhang, forcing the Bear King’s body to shrink until it returned to normal size.

At this moment, a fire light lit up behind it—the inherent fire light of a Vajra body.

Asura had appeared behind the Bear King without warning, his palm blade striking at the Bear King’s neck, the dark golden palm wreathed in seven-colored auroral light.

The Bear King sensed the crisis and tried to free a hand to respond.

Asura spoke the true words:

“Lay down your knife!”

The power of the precept fell upon the Bear King, interrupting its response.

“Puff!”

The round head flew up, falling at Asura’s feet.

Simultaneously, the golden Buddhist palm smoothly pressed down, shattering the Bear King’s body.

With the combined power of two Second Rank powerhouses, dealing with a Third Rank demon was effortless.

“Bear King!”

“No, this is impossible…”

The fighting demon folk cried out in shock.

They never imagined that at the very start of the battle, their Bear King would be beheaded and dismembered, completely helpless against two Buddhist powerhouses.

After succeeding, Asura and Du’e didn’t stop. The former took out a golden bowl, intending to seal the Bear King.

The latter clasped his hands and looked at the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox in the sky, saying deeply:

“No Killing!”

Using the formation of one hundred and eight monks, he strengthened the power of the precept to its limit, wearing down the Nine-Tailed Fox’s fighting spirit, and briefly affecting her ability to provide aid.

As Asura pointed the bowl at the Bear King, about to activate the artifact, sudden drowsiness struck. His eyelids felt like thousand-jin weights, consciousness blurring, desperate to fall asleep immediately.

Simultaneously, a martial artist’s danger sense is activated.

Below Asura’s feet, a shadow expanded, forming a human shape.

Is this its innate ability? No, can’t sleep, there’s danger… Even Asura’s thoughts became sluggish.

Xu Qi’an emerged from the shadow, stepping forward into an archer’s stance. His left hand held an ancient sword in its wooden scabbard, right hand on the hilt. He collapsed all his qi and suppressed all emotions.

His eyes showed neither joy nor sorrow.

Seconds later, Xu Qi’an’s arm suddenly swelled two sizes. Then with a “ding,” as the brass sword left its scabbard, those watching closely saw a thread-thin yet brilliantly dazzling sword light.

The sword light flashed once, then vanished.

Asura’s body, still struggling with drowsiness, suddenly stiffened. Then his head slowly rolled off.

The Second Rank Bandit-Killing power plus the Vajra Divine Art’s toughness could effectively devastate a Third Rank demon’s physical form. Asura truly had held back that day… Xu Qi’an didn’t continue attacking, quickly retreating before drowsiness could overtake him.

The Bear King’s innate ability is indeed formidable, even affecting Asura. Pity it doesn’t discriminate between friend and foe, otherwise we could have seized the chance to seal Asura… The Nation-Stabilizing Sword’s sharpness plus my Jade Shattering and the Force Parasite’s explosive power made it no difficult task to sever a Third Rank Vajra’s physical form, but it probably couldn’t have cut through Asura’s body after he released his Asura bloodline…

Xu Qi’an’s energy rapidly declined.

Jade Shattering’s predecessor was Heaven-Earth Single Blade Strike, a technique meant for fighting above one’s level, but the price was a period of weakness.

At the Third Rank, this weakness was infinitely shortened—with vigorous blood energy circulation, recovery took only a dozen seconds.

“In normal situations, I still can’t use Jade Shattering. Otherwise, during this brief period of weakness, a peer could chain-kill me.”

Xu Qi’an slowly exhaled, glancing at the wall guards and demon soldiers, silently removing the fire ring from behind his head and suddenly spreading it out.

The flames danced, becoming a blazing cloak.

At this moment, to both demon folk and Western Region guards, he appeared like a god of war.

“Xu Qi’an…”

Arhat Du’e murmured in a complex tone.